Chocolate cake with caramel buttercream and crunchy caramel popcorn

Over the past 5 1/2 years I’ve taken countless photos. It would be quite exciting to know the exact number… or maybe not.
Out of all these, obviously I love all the photos I post, more or less. But there are some that are special. Those that have a little extra something.
This whole shoot is exactly like that for me.
What makes it even more special is that the house we shot this in is no longer what it used to be. Obviously, the house was pretty run down and in great need of renovation, but still.. look at that turquoise kitchen cabinet and that beautiful golden medallion wallpaper. The paintings, the marble table and the chair. I could spend a long time in there, just looking through the old newspapers lying around.

I had been in this house a few times prior to shooting in it, with permission from the owners of course. When I was working on my last published book “Sweet food & photography” I told my publisher about this house and I could see the excitement in her eyes. I told her about the wallpaper, the newspapers (I had yet to discover the kitchen cabinet) and the light. There is definitely something special about the light in old houses. She said to me “you HAVE to take photos in this house”. So I took her advice.

First, we (and by we I mean me and my friend/assistant Emma) made a test shoot with some muffins and pies I had lying around at home. I remember it was so freezing in the house that day. Even colder than outside. I think this was in April 2014. I realized that it was a perfect location to shoot and that I had to come back and do it again.

About one month later we came back to shoot. Everything was exactly as we left it. What I also love about this shoot is that I didn’t even have to bring any props. We found everything we needed in the house (except for the cakes, flowers and plates, obviously). Now, all of that is gone. I’m a rather nostalgic person, so the fact that it’s all gone makes me think about it even more. I try to remind myself that the house was in pretty bad shape and that it was just a matter of time before it had to be demolished or something. Now, the house has new owners, turning it into their dream house. I’m just happy I was able to take these photos before it was too late! Of course, I gave a copy of my book to the previous owners as a thank you for letting me shoot there.
Many of these photos are from my book Sweet food & photography, which is being translated into English, French, Dutch and German. Feeling very grateful! I also felt like I had to share this recipe from the book because it truly is one of the best cakes. The crunchy caramel popcorn on top.. well, all I can say is, try not to eat them all straight from the baking sheet…
Oh, and by the way, that framed photo to the right in the photo above is of a kitten sitting on a table next to a cactus. How great is that?

CRUNCHY CARAMEL POPCORN
1 bag of salted microwave popcorn (only use half of the popcorn for this recipe), or make your own
1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp caramel

INSTRUCTIONS
CHOCOLATE CAKE
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter and flour two 6-inch (15 cm) baking pans.
2. Melt the butter and let it cool.
3. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, coffee and butter and stir until batter is smooth.
4. Divide the batter between the baking pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in their pans before you turn them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

SALTED CARAMEL
1. Gently heat the cream in a small saucepan. Set aside.
2. Put the sugar in another saucepan and heat on medium high until the sugar starts melting around the edges. Carefully swirl the sugar with a heatproof spoon until all the sugar has melted. If you’re using a baking thermometer, the sugar should be about 338°F (170°C).
3. Add the butter, piece by piece, and stir until melted. Carefully add the warm cream (it will bubble up!) little by little and stir until smooth. Stir in the salt.
4. Pour caramel into a jar and let cool to room temperature while you make the buttercream.

CARAMEL SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
1. Pour egg whites and sugar in a clean and heat proof bowl (preferably stainless steel or glass). Put the bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. The bowl should fit snugly, and the water should not be touching the bowl.
2. Whisk the sugar and eggs with a whisk constantly until the mixture reaches about 65°C (about 140-150°F). If you don’t have a sugar thermometer, just rub some mixture between your fingers. If the sugar has melted and mixture is hot to the touch, it’s ready.
3. Remove the bowl from the heat, beat until white, fluffy and cool with a stand- or electric mixer. This step can take about 5-10 minutes.
4. When the bowl feels cool to the touch, start adding the butter, piece by piece. Don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled and soupy just keep beating until smooth! Add the caramel and beat until smooth.

CRUNCHY CARAMEL POPCORN
1. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).
2. Make the popcorn according to the instructions on the bag.
2. Put half of the popcorn and the caramel (if the caramel is too thick, heat it for a few seconds in the microwave) in a bowl and stir until the popcorn is coated with caramel. Spread popcorn in a single layer on a baking sheet covered with baking paper.
3. Bake the popcorn for 15 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Remove baking sheet from the oven and leave to cool.

ASSEMBLY
1. If cakes are rounded on top, even out with a knife. Cut both cake layers in half using a sharp serrated knife (you’ll end up with four thinner layers). Put the first layer on a cake board or a cake stand. Spread buttercream on the first layer. Add the next layer and repeat until you’ve used up all four layers
2. Spread a thin layer of buttercream all over the cake (this is the crumb coating layer, to hold all the crumbs in place) using an offset spatula. Put the cake in the fridge for about 10 minutes or until the crumb coating layer has firmed up a bit (leave the bowl of frosting in room temperature).
3. Spread the remaining buttercream all over the cake until cake is smooth. For a totally even and smooth surface, dip an offset spatula in warm water and dry it between every pass. Works like a charm!
4. Put the crunchy popcorn on top of the cake and pour remaining caramel sauce over.

Reader Interactions

Comments

Such a fascinating and touchingly beautiful story behind this shoot, Linda! Thank you so much for sharing this with us 🙂 not to mention this incredible cake — the caramel popcorn on top is the crowning glory. Congratulations on your gorgeous book!

You know,this is my favourite photo shoot out there too 🙂 Love going back to your images to get inspiration.I just love how much of 'you' you put into each photograph.Thank you dear Linda!And wishing you many more beautiful old houses to shoot in 🙂

I have just loved the photos that I've seen from the house! Always thought they were just amazingly extra 'wow!' But the story makes it even more magic. And, isn't there something magic about an empty home? It's almost as if, in the quiet, one can finally here the house itself – speaking – it's own personality coming through. Yes! Magic! A magic story!! <3

This is beyond gorgeous. Thank you for sharing this stunning cake and these photographs! I need to try this recipe out! I'd love to shoot in a gorgeous old house someday. How did you come across this house before??

Thank you for the wonderful photos and mouth watering cake. I love to bake and even more I love to make cakes, but I have to say yours make anything I do look like kindergarten work. You are a true artist!!!!

Wow your pictures are very inspiring! I really love the house, it's so beautiful. Too bad that it's all gone now. You are so lucky that you had the opportunity to take those pictures before the house was renovated. I'm very keen on the walls and the furniture, they remind me of my grandmothers house. I have also seen your instagram, your pictures are so magical! I also like to make pictures with my big camera, but I can never find good locations, so most of the time it's just pictures of my cats in my garden. And your cakes look so delicious! I'm not generally a fan of cake, but I will definatly try your recipes because it looks so good… I'm so hungry now. I think I could eat them everyday. I would love to buy your book (the Dutch version) if I can find it.

Your photography makes the desserts look most appealing. I can hardly wait to make the cake. Would you be able to provide the recipe for the delicious-looking buns on the top left shelf? I would love to try them too!

Your photography is wonderful and makes the desserts look most appealing. I can hardly wait to make the cake. Would you be able to provide the recipe for the delicious-looking buns on the top left shelf? I would love to try those too!

Hi Linda! Clarice here (@brigadeirochoc on Instagram), hope you are well.! Not sure if you will read this comment as this is an old post, but I have been obsessing over this cake since you posted the first pic on Instagram. I hardly ever bake cakes (maximum once a year, for my kids birthday, if that), but really want to attempt this as I'm dying to try it, and I LOVE caramel popcorn. With their joint birthday party next Saturday I'm hoping to give this a try. Just wondering though if there are elements I can prepare beforehand and place in freezer or fridge (eg. the cake and/or icing or caramel sauce), or does it need to be assembled practically hours before it is served? (I can't see it surviving well in my fridge overnight, but the party is in the morning, so I know I will be frantic trying to get everything else ready). It is autumn/winter here, so not that warm overnight.

You can definitely make the cake and the buttercream the day before, no problem! I actually find it to be the most delicious after a day or so. The caramel popcorn would probably be best if you make them before serving, or at least the same day, or they will get soft 🙂

I made it for my birthday three days ago and … well that was fantastic! Everyone was fighting for the crunchy popcorn! Thank you so much, Linda!=)A year ago I was enchanted to a passionate baker by your amazing talent!Спасибо))

Hi Linda, this is quite out of the blue but I've been eyeing this recipe for a while and plan on making it for my younger sisters birthday. A quick question about the salted caramel? How do you go about cutting the cake? Do you take the caramel popcorn off first or brave it and cut through? I'm making this next weekend and would love to get your advice! Thanks x

Hi Linda, LOVE your blog! I'm planning to make this cake but can I please ask, how many grams is 1 bag of popcorn and do you use the whole bag? Also, I am trying to get my hands on an English copy of your book Sweet Food & Photography and can't find it anywhere!

hi! im kind of in a dilemma as to which chocolate cake recipe i should choose from your blog! (They all just look so good!!) its either between this recipe or your triple chocolate cake recipe. These two recipes are really similar. Oh, and i was wondering what is the shelf life of the salted caramel. If you could help me out that would be so great. i love love love your pictures!

Hi Linda!
I don’t know if you’ll get to see and answer this but I am thinking about using your recipe as an inspiration for my birthday cake and I would like to know if you think the meringue buttercream can be prepared the previous day!
Thank you
Ines

Hi Ines! Happy early birthday! 🙂 Yes, you can prepare the buttercream the day before (but you can also put the cake together the day before, just make the caramel popcorn the same day or they will lose the crunch). Store it in an airtight container, then bring to room temperature again before beating it smooth. You can not use it straight from the fridge! If you’re having trouble getting it smooth again you can heat a small part of the frosting until basically liquid, then add it back to the buttercream and whip it until smooth. Hope that helps!

This is a fabulous cake! I cheated a little! I skipped the popcorn and used the canned Dulce de Leche by Nestle as I made this in the week before we moved interstate for the birthday of a dear friend. It turned out beautifully! I decorated with buttercream rosettes and pearls. The cake is delicious and light. The buttercream is divine! Would highly recommend this “low intensity” version but I will go all out next time I give the popcorn version a go! Another amazing Lomelino cake!

Thank you so much Kathryn!! Not sure I would call that low intensity.. wow, sounds absolutely amazing!! Definitely try the popcorn too, they’re heavenly on their own too. So crunchy and good! Thank you again for your kind comment, so glad you liked the cake 🙂